Tiny Timepieces: How to Choose the Best Watch for Kids

Remember your first watch as a child? It’s a rather unforgettable accessory more than a tool from your childhood, isn’t it?

Kids these days might not feel the same way.

Most kids now have mobile devices to tell them the time. Yet most schools don’t allow kids to use mobile devices in class. This is why your child still needs a watch.

Some brands offer Bluetooth or GPS tracking in their models. You’ll need this watch for kids who like to wander off. Furthermore, there are tons of fun designs that your child could choose from.

Not sure which features to look for? Read on how you could choose the best kind for your child.

1. Analog vs Digital Watch for Kids

The good old wristwatch design may seem boring or complicated to the young mind. They might not like it if there isn’t a Smart feature or fancy LED lights. That is why more companies are becoming more creative with their wristwatch designs.

Being able to tell the time with a glance at a traditional clock face has long-term benefits. The cognitive skill and hand system interaction will help them understand more complex concepts as they age. They also develop visual skills.

We recommend digital watches for older kids. They’re made for easier time-reading and are more accurate. They can have features like a bright LED display, stopwatch, backlight, and alarm.

If your child is young enough, you should give them an analog-only watch first. Being able to read time in the proper way and being able to understand the concept of time at an early age is important. You can give them more complicated watches when they are older.

2. Kids Love Recognizable Characters

Remember the Mickey Mouse wristwatch with its clock hands being Mickey’s arms? How many times did you feel curious when you saw a strange arm positioning? A wristwatch with your kid’s favorite character on the face can trigger creativity.

If you have trouble making your child wear the watch you gave them, chances are they aren’t digging the design. Kids are more visually-oriented when they are younger. Watches with designs of the characters they always see will be where their interests lie.

There are many available designs out there with many different characters. Superheroes, Disney princesses, Pixar movies, and Pokémon are some of the most well-loved designs by kids.

Before you give your kid a watch, ask them who their favorite character is. They will appreciate it more than the plain colored one you thought of giving them. When they’re older, they will learn to be more fashion forward.

3. Tracking Smartwatches

The main reason why smartwatches became popular with parents is the GPS feature. Tracking children become easier and faster. And because it is a smartwatch for kids, most include games.

Trackers have a GPS chip built into them. These watches also need a SIM card for location transmission. Kids’ trackers have a low-energy chip and built-in LTE to cover longer distances and smaller devices.

Some brands have a text messaging feature. There are also brands that have one-way listen in features. This is perfect for the occasional check-in with your child.

When you choose your kid’s smartwatches, you want a watch that calls parents. Watchu and Liberty GPS are kid-friendly smartwatches that function as a phone. Their smartwatches have a built-in microphone and speakers.

If you want a smartwatch that supports video calls, the DokiWatch is what you’re looking for. It has a 2-megapixel camera above the screen. This is great for young kids who don’t have smartphones yet.

Tracking smartwatches are a little more expensive because of their GPS features. You won’t be paying for the watch/tracker alone, you’ll be paying for the tracking service as well. Smartwatches that communicate via Bluetooth are cheaper, but they have a smaller radius.

There are other factors you want to consider before deciding on a tracker. Depending on the kind of tracking you want, the battery life of each smartwatch will differ. If your child is still learning to be careful with his things, a more durable tracker is what they will need.

4. Fitness Tracker

Getting kids to do more physical activities can be challenging. According to Forbes, overweight kids won’t likely grow out of their being overweight. They could carry their extra weight well into their older years.

One easy way to get a child to be more physical is to give him a fitness tracker. Some brands have mini-games that help keep them active daily. The brand Garmin has a competitive mode for kids.

As a parent, you will be able to assign activities for them. You can also tell them to do the chores or their homework through the tracker. Other brands of fitness trackers have the GPS feature installed in them.

A teenager will want a sleeker design. Fitbit Ace has that sleek design, and it will let them organize real competitions. It also has an achievement list to remind them how far they’ve gone.

Some fitness trackers have a pedometer function to count how many steps they have taken in the day. Other activity trackers include a function that keeps track of your kid’s sleep time. You and your child can view this information on an app that comes with the watch.

Fitness trackers are often waterproof. Those that are water resistant will often have bands made of silicone. For younger kids, bands with cute character designs are available.

Your kid needs physical fitness to grow healthy and disease-free. With today’s digital age, it’s difficult to get them to play outside. But you never know, a fitness tracker smartwatch might do the trick.

5. Tough Watches for Rough Kids

The ideal kid’s watch is waterproof and shockproof. If your child loves outdoor activities, they are going to need a watch that would survive those activities. The best watch for him is one with a specific design to be durable.

Rugged watches can be both analog, digital, or both. Watches of this type have bulkier bands and faces. Designs can still be fun, formal, sporty, or silly!

G Shock watches for kids are one of the best of the rugged brands. G-Shock has many lines that come in different colors. Each series also has a different set of features.

Timex has a stainless-steel watch if you want a very tough one. Finding rugged watches with GPS tracker can be a little more challenging. Rugged smartwatches are not very common in the market yet either.

They may love the aesthetic of the watch, but you’re going to love its durability. Getting a tough watch from the beginning could save you the trouble (and money) of having to buy new ones. With proper care, they could even wear them well into early adulthood.

Watch That Watch, Kid

Getting a watch for your kid early on can develop in them a sense of responsibility and independence. We want our kids to keep to agreed schedules and being on time. They’ll also learn to be careful with it because a watch is one of those things you take care of.

Giving them a watch is a small gesture. Yet it’s vital in forming their personalities and values. We hope you enjoyed this read on choosing the best watch for kids.

Want to get creative? Check out our other blog posts for more tips and great lists. Here’s one listing down helpful DIY tips about making a mood board.

About Terri

My name is Terri and I live in an urban area in central Georgia, USA. I'm a mom to three kids, a dog, cat, bird and other small aquatic pets. My hobbies include photography, reading, binge-watching movies, crocheting, D.I.Y. projects of every kind, gardening, hiking, glamping, and camping. I love to travel and go sightseeing. My coffee pot is my lifeline.

Comments

My son will be turning 6 next year and I think this would be an awesome birthday gift for him. I would have to choose the tracking smartwatch. I love the idea of being able to track where he is. The Watchu and Liberty really caught my attention with the built-in microphone and speaker. This feature will allow me to check in on him. Thanks for sharing.